Words Cannot Describe
by the sHINjo
Summary: Several months have passed Remus and Sirius have not seen each other in a while and worry brews. Secrets of their past as the Marauders are revealed, and hidden feelings are expressed. Will this momentary emotion break their friendship? COMPLETE
1. Reunited At Last

It wasn't usual for Remus Lupin to have peaceful nights. So often…his dreams were haunted by blood, tears, and so much regret. Regret, and since he had learned of Sirius Black's innocence, hurt. Long ago, _could it really only have been a year?, Remus had told Sirius that he forgave him for everything. Forgave him for suspecting that he, Remus J. Lupin, would ever betray him. Of course, what else would he do? Remus was a true friend, and he knew how much Sirius needed __someone to believe in him; someone to be the same, when everyone else was dead or worse. _

And, at the time, Remus thought it was only fair. He, after all, had accepted it when the news broke and Sirius was sent to that hellhole. He accepted it as it broke his heart and drove him out of England for three years. So why not forgive Sirius for believing it of him, twelve years ago when all was distrust and fear? Because it was different. Remus had actions to look at, to mourn, when he was confronted with the possibility that one of his friends, no, his **best** friend, had betrayed two others and killed 13 innocents. 

Sirius only had an assumption, a prejudice, and that had led two wonderful people being slaughtered. And more than that, of everything in his entire life, the one thing that drove him on from the age of eleven was the knowledge that, no matter what, he had Sirius Black to believe in him. 

Now, even with Sirius free from Azkaban and the truth out in the open, that moment of doubt in Sirius's mind caused Remus more pain than any transformation could. And all the more when he opened his door that summer to find Sirius's eyes staring at him, like the last 13 years hadn't happened.

"Moony!" Sirius greeted, obviously worn and breathless from the walk from the borders of anti-apparition wards from whatever else he had been suffering through since returning to England. He had been running nonstop before and since leaving Hogwarts after the Third Task. Sirius would normally have been ecstatic to see his friend, to even be under a solid roof, if it weren't for the lingering image of an echoing Lily speaking to Harry, of a wisp of James speaking at all…

"Are you mad?!" Barked Remus, pulling Sirius into his house, or rather cottage, as it was all a werewolf could afford. "Walking around in that state? What if someone saw you?!" 

Rather amused, Sirius laughed about how so little changed, Remus the worrisome of the Marauders. "I only transformed at your doorstep, Remus. Are you a werewolf or a mother hen?" 

"Well, it's nice to see you too, now what's happened?" Asked Remus, choosing to ignore the jibe. 

"I'd just as soon wait until the others get here, cut down on the explanation." Sirius answered accepting the glass of pumpkin juice that Remus had offered. 

"What others?"

"The old crew, Dumbledore's reinstating the Order of the Phoenix, Remus. Oh, I suppose I'll tell you first, then you can explain to the rest when they come in the morning. Who knows if they're still wary of me. Well, the short of it is that Voldemort has returned, he tried to kill Harry and failed because of this strange connection with their wands, one boy died but Harry made it back safe with the aid of the echoes of James and Lily. But, Fudge is being…grr…and he won't believe Harry OR Dumbledore because he let those damned Dementors give the kiss to young Barty Crouch and to top it all off, it sounds like Fudge is going to try to get Dumbledore out of Hogwarts." Finishing with a grand exhale, Sirius looked to his friend for a reaction.

"So, all in all, just another excuse for you to throw a party at my house?" Asked Remus, though both men knew that he was taking this news seriously.

"Sounds about right," Sirius smiled, having missed his old friend. They had exchanged a few words since his escape in Harry's third year, and seen each other briefly in India when Remus had been contacted to help with a dangerous werebear. There fleeting stolen moments had only made Sirius long for the old days more than ever, never imagining that his friend did not share the same opinion. 

Remus, no matter how ashamed he was for feeling it and no matter how much he berated himself for even thinking it, had at times wished that he had never met Sirius Black. At least then none of this would matter to him. He would never have met James Potter or Peter Pettigrew, never would have inspired their plan to become Animagous, and maybe, he would never had lasted to graduation. Yes, Remus thought about these failed realities often, and when he realized that, without his friends, he would have died before he turned seventeen, he sometimes resented them even more.

"Well, you look exhausted. The spare room is right down the hall, kitchen on the left, and the bathroom is at the end. Goodnight, Sirius." Before he could be called back, he retreated to his room and wished, for once, that there was a full moon outside his window. He felt like he could use some physical pain at that moment, anything to take his mind off the man a few doors down. He wasn't really sure why this was so painful; In India, all he had felt was worry for an old friend, none of this regret and resentment, and something else underneath. Maybe that's what it was…hatred. Remus so rarely hated anyone, and the thought that he might feel this way about Sirius Black was making him ill. _It wasn't his fault!_ _He was just trying to protect James, just like he would have protected me. But somehow, Remus couldn't believe that. The equality of Sirius's loyalties when it came to him and James. If the situation had been reversed, and Remus was the one in hiding, Sirius would have never suspected James Potter, wouldn't have doubted him for a second. __Maybe that's all it is. Sirius is my best friend, but James is his and that's the way it is. Was. _

After trying to sleep, then read, then trying to think, Remus gave up and changed into some Muggle clothing, simple khakis and a blue button-down shirt, and resolved himself to walk down to the closest pub and drink until he'd exhausted his Muggle currency. It didn't occur to him that Sirius was still awake, sitting in the living room, leafing through the latest edition of _Transfiguration Today_. 

"What are you wearing?" Laughed Sirius, eyebrows arched and a smile that almost reached his eyes. Remus so nearly wished that he had had that smile around for the past few years, but then remembered why he was intent upon swimming to the bottom of a bottle of whiskey. 

"I'm going out for a while," He answered curtly, forgetting that he didn't want Sirius to ask him what was wrong because that would mean they'd finally have to sit down and ask the questions they had been avoiding all year. But Sirius didn't ask, merely bade him a good night. 

On his path to town, Remus kicked a few stones. The Old Dungeon Ghyll was a quiet pub; the only kind Remus would ever enter. The view of the waterfall didn't hurt either, but Remus was mainly looking for a place where they didn't ask questions, didn't even look at you, and the smell of smoke wasn't too strong for his lupine senses. So Remus was surprised when, halfway through a bottle of the cheapest, strongest whiskey this part of Britain offered, the distance between his lips and a hand interrupted the glass over the rim and a questioned muted into mere tones by the toxin in Lupin's blood.

"What?" He asked, still too mesmerized by the golden color of his drink and its similarities to his own eyes.

"I asked you what you think you are doing." Repeated Sirius, sitting in the chair opposite Remus's. He didn't look too angry, maybe just curious. Or _disappointed, who is he to be disappointed with me?_

"I'm just having a drink," Growled Remus, angered by the gall this man had to have expectations or concerns, or anything at all. "What do you think YOU'RE doing?!"

"Looking after a friend." Answered Sirius sternly, his infamous anger beginning to show. Remus was hoping for it. Hoping for an all out brawl, or even just one punch as long as they didn't have to bleeding talk about it. Talking only led to things that Remus didn't want to hear, admit, or feel.

"So am I," Answered Remus, wondering if it was a lie or not. "You should be home. I know we're in the middle of nowhere, but you shouldn't be risk being seen." It was amazing, the level of sobriety in his voice.

"What's wrong?"

_Damn._

"Remus? Are you going to tell me why you're trying to drink yourself into a stupor or am I going to have to beat it out of you?" 

"What makes you think I'm doing that? This could be my first drink for all you know." Remus sounded quite clear-headed. He nearly always did.

"I've been watching you drain that glass for the past half-hour." Sirius smirked, perhaps proud that he had remained unnoticed, a tough feat when in the company of a werewolf.

"Why?"

"To see if I could."

"Well bully for you. Now the real reason."

"I want to know what's wrong."

"The rise of Voldemort, the death of a student, and the possibility that the only Order will know of the war not good of a reason for you?" Asked Remus, frightfully grateful for all those excuses.

"That's enough for any man, but not you." Answered Sirius.

"Why? Because I'm not a man?" Remus knew what Sirius meant, but he wanted this to be hard for him, just for a while.

"You know that's not what I meant. Just that we've faced these things before and, in the past; your first reaction was never getting pissed. At least alone." 

"Well, as you said, that was in the past. I'm sure you know from experience that the past thirteen years could change any man, even me." 

"Not this much, Moony. Not this much. What about we go back to your house," Sirius suggested, standing up and offering Remus his hand. Remus ignored the gesture and left the bar on his own, Sirius following behind. They didn't speak the entire walk back, something, for which Remus was not grateful. Now that he knew what was to come, he'd much rather get it over with and go to sleep. Especially with all they had to do come morning. Instead, it was a good twenty minutes after the settled into their seats in the living room that Sirius broke the silence. 

"What is it that you're afraid to ask?"

Remus was shocked; he had thought it would be so obvious, the need to know why. "What do you think?" He asked, honestly curious to know the answer. As if it held something greater than the wide world.

"I don't really know. Maybe what it was like, in there? Or what I was thinking when I went after Peter? I wonder myself sometimes. But I can see by your face, that I'm wrong. So why don't you just ask me?"

"Why?"

"Because I know that something's-"

"No, why? That's my question. Why did you think that it was me?" _There. It's finally out. God, please don't answer._

"Because there was strong proof that it was one of us, and who would think that Peter would have the strength to come face to face with Voldemort."

Remus scoffed. This was no answer, this was an excuse. "Padfoot, I thought we were being honest." The use of that nickname, it always brought things to a different level. It made James alive, and Peter a friend and Voldemort something so inconceivable and anything other than brash youth and impossibility. It nearly made Sirius cry.

"Moony, I'm so sorry," Sirius croaked, his voice straining over the lump in his throat. "We just hadn't seen as much of you after graduation. We didn't have those full moons anymore. Only a few letters and visits every once in a while. We didn't think you'd ever hurt us, but you could have changed." 

"We?" Inquired Remus, knowing this was what it all came too, not just some hurt pride but the level of doubt amongst friends. "Dose 'we' include Dumbledore? Lily? James? You all thought I was defected?" 

"No! No, James would never think that of you!" Yelled Sirius, the certainty in his voice smacking of denial. He needs James to be perfect.

"So it was just you?" Remus asked, even though he knew it couldn't have been.

"Does it really matter?" Sirius asked, even though he knew it did.

"Yes! You know it matters! How many people? How many of my _friends thought me capable of such a thing? It does matter!" _

Sighing in his resolve to tell Remus the truth, Sirius gave in. "Dumbledore knew it was someone close. He never accused you, or anyone else for that matter. Lily told James that it might have been me, but he wouldn't hear of it. He suggested Peter but the whole idea that one of us could have sided with the Dark Lord so tore him apart that he didn't want to think about it anymore and left the decision with me."

"And you thought of me? I don't blame you. Werewolves are untrustworthy beasts aren't they? Filthy, dark, dangerous things. Of course you'd think of me." Whispered Remus, hoping that if he were on the other side of the coin, he wouldn't have thought of such things at all.

"Remus, I know you are none of those things!"

"But you didn't! You didn't know! Not then!" Shouted Remus.

"What about you?" Snarled Sirius, finally growing weary of this pity fest. "When they sent me to Azkaban, did you think those things of me? We're both guilty of bad judgment here, Remus."

"But there were bodies Sirius! There was something to look at. You didn't have that luxury when you made your judgment on my character! God knows what you based that one. And, at first, I didn't believe those things they said about you. The man I knew would never hurt Lily and James. But I thought that the man I knew, my **best** friend, would have thought more of me and would have told me when the change was made."

"I'm just saying that we both made mistakes," Sirius answered, the meekness in his voice showing that he knew his had been the greater mistake. But that didn't stop Remus from pointing it out.

"At least my mistake didn't get anyone killed." That did it. Before Remus could even blink, he found himself with what felt like a broken jaw and what he knew to be a bloody nose. He didn't even try to fight back, it felt so good. Just like the old days, only he had never been in the fight, merely watching Sirius and James go at it over some girl or a prank gone wrong. 

Sirius and James. Always those two. It's a miracle Remus found a place at all within that love. Thinking of this, Remus didn't even notice that the fight was over until Sirius handed him a towel to stop the blood. _I really should apologize. I'm sure he's felt that guilt enough for two lifetimes without me forcing it on him again. _"I shouldn't have said that…" Mumbled Remus, deciding that he wasn't ready to apologize to Sirius for anything yet.

"Don't bother, we both know it's true." Was Sirius's answer. He had barely broken a sweat in the brief altercation, but he was still straining to catch his breath, maybe out of shock that he was capable of hurting a friend. But then, he'd already hurt him once before. He just hadn't realized how much. "Remus, I know that I've taken something from you, apart from Lily and James and twelve years of me and a million other could-have-been's. And for that I am truly sorry. I don't know what else I can say."

"You don't have to say anything." Remus answered, knowing that he was finally being honest with his friend. "I thought I needed you to answer me something, but I suppose it doesn't matter what you say. Things are what they are, we are what we are, and that's how it is. No use breaking our hearts, or jaws, over trivial information anyway, is there?"

"There is. You need to know. And, whatever it is, I need to tell you. And then we can go to bed and put it all in the past, where it belongs." Sirius answered, again taking his seat across from Remus. "Now ask!"

"But now I'm not sure I do want to know!" Laughed Remus nervously.

"Remus, just ask me. You'd be surprised at how little you can surprise me."

"Fine. If things had been different, and Voldemort was coming after me instead and we knew that someone close by was working for him, would you have…could you have ever imagined that James was the one?" _What a stupid question! What does it prove? I might as well have asked why he liked James better! Honestly, how old am I again?_

"Now, I was not expecting that," Sirius smiled, and this time it definitely did not reach his eyes. "Yes."

"You can't be serious!" Remus shouted, amused that he was just as insistent on protecting James's memory, as Sirius had been earlier.

"Of course I'm Sirius." Sirius joked, deciding that no, it never got too old.

"Padfoot-" Remus began, impatient with that old Marauder grin.

"Moony, I am serious. In hindsight, of course I don't doubt James's loyalties, just like I don't doubt yours. But back then, anything could have been possible. And I'll save you from wondering. If things had been different, and you had been killed and James had been the traitor, I would have hunted him down and killed him without hesitation. And I mean that. Now, I insist we go to bed before things get blubbery in here." Of course it was too late for that, but when Remus finally did fall asleep mere hours before dawn, it was the most peaceful night he had ever had.


	2. Silver Poison

Sirius was already awake, skimming over the Daily Prophet, when Remus awoke the next morning.

"I saw that." Remus mumbled, voice torn to a whisper from all the shouting and drinking he had done the night before. But God, did it feel good.

"What?" Sirius asked, hoping that his friend hadn't noticed how far he had jumped when he had broken the silence.

"You tucked a pair of reading glasses into your robes." Smiled Remus, pouring himself some of the warmed-over tea and sitting at the bay window, glaring at the garden that was in need of a serious de-gnoming. Sirius just laughed, pulling out the glasses once again and continuing with the paper. 

"You've missed an owl from Dumbledore. He said that the others would be here this afternoon." Sirius said in between quoting to Remus the more amusing personals in the paper. "Listen to this: 'Glamour spells and witchy makeovers available. Owl Mathilda McGirk for appointments. Discretion assured.' Now why on earth would you need discretion to go get your face made up?" Sirius asked, handing Remus a plate of sausage and eggs he had been supervising in the kitchen.

"Well," Remus answered, after closely scrutinizing the plate and making sure that there was no trace of Belch Powder Sirius often used to spice up his culinary creations, "Mathilda McGirk, if I'm not mistaken, is a hag. And I don't think a woman would make much of an impression if word got out that she had to go to Madame McGirk for beauty tips."

Things continued along these lines, as if neither man could bare to bring back the tension of last night, until Remus thought of how very little he had learned in his haste to get the one answer. 

"Sirius, who died? At the tournament?"

"I think it was Diggory," Sirius answered, folding up the paper and tossing it onto the coffee table.

"Yes, Cedric would have made for an excellent Hogwarts Champion." Sighed Remus, remembering the bright young man that, to many, had been the pride of Hufflepuff.

"I keep forgetting that you were a professor." Mused Sirius. "What was that like?"

Again, Remus sighed. "I loved it, Sirius. Apart from having a job and a decent place to stay…it was Hogwarts again. You know how it is, being there. Like everything is safe and calm. Of course, it's tainted now. Couldn't walk down the hall without remembering everything. Everyone." Remus paused, thinking back to how his heart had leapt into his throat every time he caught a glimpse of Harry out of the corner of his eye. The hope that, just once, it would be James standing there. But then, having Harry there was nearly just as good. Nearly. "And I really loved teaching. I think it was the first time that I felt like I was worth anything."

"Harry swears that you were the best teacher he ever had." Smiled Sirius, deciding not to list the many _somethings that Remus Lupin was worth. Then his face darkened, remembering why his friend no longer had that life. "What about the grease ball? What was he like?"_

"Who Severus?" Asked Remus, pretending like there could have been some other 'grease ball' at the school.

"Don't call him that," Sirius answered. "His name is Snape and it is to either be spit out, sneered, or growled."

"Well, I've always called him Severus, even back when we were students." Reminded Remus.

"And I always told you not to call him that, but I see you haven't learned."

"Well, to answer your original question, I was very grateful to have him there."

Sirius nearly choked. "What?! Are you daft? He's the slime that got you sacked!"

"He didn't get me 'sacked'. I resigned, and I'm not daft. The man made me Wolfsbane before every full moon, and you know that that potion takes a lot of talent and time."

"He only did it because Dumbledore made him." Sirius muttered. "And you wouldn't have had to resign if Snape hadn't told." 

"And I wouldn't have had to resign if I wasn't a werewolf, but some things we can't change." Answered Remus.

"The man tried to sic the Dementors on me, you know," Growled Sirius. 

"And for that, I'll dislike him for your sake. But he's not the only man that's ever rushed to conclusions, so give him some slack, won't you? You'll be seeing a lot more of him now than ever, I'm afraid. And you must admit that his is a task ten times more dangerous than ours."

"If you love him so much, why don't you marry him?" Frowned Sirius, a sign that the argument was won and not by him.

"Now that's mature." Smiled Remus, rising to clear the dishes. "There was something else I was going to ask you, but now I've forgotten." He continued after washing the dishes by hand, oddly too lazy to fetch his wand from the other room.

"And here I thought that you remember _everything," Sirius muttered. "Was it something I mentioned last night?" He ventured, hoping that it wasn't because, really, none of the matters broached the night before were fit for a lovely morning just made for Quidditch or flying motorbikes or walking down to the lake. Then again, Sirius couldn't think of any day fit for taking about some of those things._

"It might have been. But I imagine it couldn't have been that important seeing as it's totally slipped my mind. Is there anything you'd like to do before the others get here?"

"You mean you're going to let me leave the house?" Sirius answered in mock surprise. "With Dementors roaming the country and my face plastered across Wanted posters from here to Timbuktu?"

"I hardly think that you're one of the top priorities for the peoples of Timbuktu, Sirius. But it's nice to see that your ego hasn't suffered one bit over the years." Smirked Remus, earning a rather hard, if endearing, slap on the back of the head from his companion. "Ow. Thank you, appreciate it." Answered Remus, as he ran his hand through his hair. 

"You've gone rather gray, haven't you?" Sirius noticed, brows furrowed at something maybe lost youth, maybe forced age, maybe the simple passing of time. 

"Very tactful," Pouted Remus, pulling a wounded face but honestly not caring either way. It wasn't as if he had someone to keep up appearances for. He barely looked himself in the mirror. "it's the stress from having a friend like you." 

"Well," Sirius continued, not wanting to dwell on how accurate that statement was, "I'd like to head down to the lake. I haven't had a decent swim in ages, apart from trudging through puddles in that monsoon we had here last month."

"Here? How long have you actually been in England?" Remus asked, having assumed that Sirius had spent most of his year abroad.

"Since October," Sirius answered. "Harry's scar was hurting," He explained.

"Why didn't you come see me?" Remus asked a little upset that he hadn't even known his best friend had been in the country for nine months, and that he couldn't even be bothered to write.

"For one thing, I actually didn't know where you were staying, you moved around so bloody much. But apart from that, I don't know if I'd have taken the risk of straying too far from Hogwarts, with everything that was going on. And you know, I spent one night in jail." Added Sirius, hoping to draw attention away from the fact that he had simply been too uncomfortable to visit Moony and act like it was old times again.

"What?!" Remus bellowed.

"Muggle police caught me after I broke into a house to Firecall Harry." Sirius shrugged, knowing that if he acted like it was no big deal that Remus would see it as an even bigger deal, which always made for an entertaining lecture.

"And they didn't recognize you?" Remus asked.

"No, didn't even drag me into court since I didn't take anything." 

"Well, how nice for you." Remus answered, not sounding sarcastic enough to fit Sirius's expectations.

"Is that it?" He asked. "No yelling and screaming? No threats to have me fixed if I don't behave myself? And I thought you cared!"

"And I thought you cared for the people in your life enough to keep yourself out of prison!" Snapped Remus.

This stopped Black within mid-sentence, and he stared at Lupin. "...Moony, what's all this about?"

"Every night, I would sit here and only worry about your welfare. That's all I did. Even lost sleep over it. If you were me, how would you react if the friend you thought was dead suddenly popped up on your doorstep and said that everything was fine, then added casually that he went to jail?" After the sentence, Remus had to pant for a second or two to regain himself, though never did he once take his eyes off of the animagus in question.

Now, Sirius was stupefied. He was unsure of how to respond, and his lip quivered. Remus wasn't acting like himself, tough Sirius was quite aware that he _had_ gone a little overboard. "Remus, I didn't think---"

"No, you didn't!" Remus shot back.

"Just hear me out…" Sirius started, with a soft voice that showed his shame, and Remus paused, with his mouth open, feeling a bit ashamed of himself, as Sirius did before. "I know you cared. I wasn't thinking…when I said things like that. It was stupid of me. I should have thought things out before telling you, so that it wouldn't have hurt you so much. I'm sorry, truly I am." He put a hand to his heart, and shook his head. "Please, forgive me."

Remus remained silent. This brought back memories of so many times, when he and Sirius had fought during their seven schooling years at Hogwarts. Though they seemed the best of friends, just like everyone else, they had their moments when fighting was all that mattered. Putting a hand to his mouth, he covered it and looked down at the floor, feeling nauseous.

"Moony…?"

His vision swirled, the colors blurring together as they became a mess of nothing but fuzzy images. Putting his other hand to his head, Lupin tried massaging his temples to calm the sense of dizziness, however it didn't pass.

"Moony, what's wrong?" Black reached out with a hand and put it to Lupin's side to prevent him from falling over, though in the process, felt a sticky, liquid substance. Pulling his hand back, he stared at the red blood that stained his fingers and palm. Lupin's blood.

Immediately, Remus was leaning on Sirius' shoulder as he helped him to the bedroom. Lying him down on the bed, Sirius removed his shirt to see a very large, infected gash across his lower right abdomen, which continued across his back. Staring at the wound with horror, Sirius inspected it brushing it lightly with a finger.

Remus winced.

"What the Hell were you doing worrying about me, when you yourself were hiding the fact that you were injured?! Do you think I want a body for a best friend?!"

"I was going to tell you…" Muttered Remus though it was clear that he was in pain.

"What happened?" Sirius ignored Remus' excuse and looked to his friend's eyes rather than the wound itself; which was swollen, and very pink compared to his pallid face.

"At the Werewolf Testimony…Jerald Huntswood was there too. He…tried to get us to leave, but some of the others wouldn't stand for it, determined to fight for the rights of Werewolves. One of them was me."

Black sneered. He knew of Jerald Huntswood. He was the man who started the ministry against Werewolves again, after Cornelius Fudge had taken over. If he were known for anything, it would have been his hatred towards Werewolves. He had spent ten years of his life for killing a known Werewolf when he was in the form of a human, with a silver bullet to the heart. Nodding, his eyes full of worry, he motioned for Lupin to continue if he could.

"He stabbed me. With a silver knife that is. Thought he could accomplish something by killing off the head of the W.A.D. [1] although, I couldn't allow that." Remus smiled in that way he had in the times when the Marauders were alive. For real.

It took a moment for Sirius to react and it was not a good reaction. "What? What did you just say?!"

Lupin nodded his head slightly but coughed blood upon the sheets which he stared at wearily, his gray hair and oldness showing. Black noticed this change and quickly ran into the bathroom, returning with a bowl of water with a cloth, bandage wraps, and a cream.

Dabbing at the wound with the now wet cloth, Sirius continued to look up at Remus' face for a reaction; although, none came. He continued to swab the wound clean, apply the cream, and wrap it with bandages. When he had finished he sat up and looked down at Remus as he laid on top of the bed.

"I'm calling Snape." Though he was concerned enough for Remus' safety, he was forced upon the name of Black to sneer, growl, or mutter the name 'Snape'. And without a further word, he strode from the room towards the fireplace. He obviously was going to firecall Snape at Hogwarts.

"But…" Lupin wanted to protest, but when he had opened his mouth to talk, Black was gone. He sank into the cushions of the bed trying to disappear. Feeling worse than ever, Lupin wanted to throw up all the contents of his earlier meals, which had not been much. His eyes lulled back into his head as the sick feeling increased greatly.

Pointing his wand at the fireplace, Black muttered something to himself before setting it aflame. "Hogwarts!" 

Amidst the smoke and flames, the greasy-haired Professor's face appeared, sneering, obviously not in a good mood. "BLACK!" His eyes bulged when he saw the other whose face he saw on his receiver side. 

"Shh!" Sirius put a finger to his lips and stared severely at the Potions Master, and his eyes narrowed with disgust. "Just shut your mouth, if there was any other way I wouldn't have called on you. But Remus has been stabbed with a silver knife, and he's not doing too well about it."

"How do I know you weren't the one who did it?" Snape asked in a very sneer tone, though he knew perfectly well from the memories of the four, James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter, that Sirius Black would never do a thing to hurt Remus J. Lupin.

"You bastard. You know I wouldn't have. So, if you could get something ready, I'm bringing Remus over to Hogwarts---" Sirius was cut short by the loud thud that came from the other room. He saw Snape raise a brow and motioned for him to wait, as he walked back into the bedroom. "Remus?"

When Sirius found him, Remus was sprawled out upon the floor, unconscious. Blood was clearly seen through the bandage wrappings, and the Werewolf was experiencing some convulsions. Running to his side, Sirius lightly shook Remus' shoulders frantically. "Remus! Remus!"

Regaining consciousness, Remus found himself lying in one of the sick beds at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He was a bit surprised to find himself back here of all places, however found it quite reassuring. Looking up, he saw Snape beaming over him. Then Sirius pulling him away.

"Excuse me, Snape," He snapped, "But if I was just returning to the conscious world, I wouldn't want to see your face first." And having said that, Black strode over to Lupin's side, who was now fully awake and trying to sit up.

"Easy does it." Black smiled at Lupin as though none of this had ever happened; as if, they were students instead of an ex-professor and escaped convict.

Lupin looked at Black, "Sirius what happened?"

"You fell unconscious just after I firecalled Snape. Lucky I keep a bit of floo powder in my pocket, or else I don't know what we would've done." His smile fell to that of a thin line, his lips pressed together. "You were unconscious for a week, Remus. You even transformed and went a bit berserk, though Snape finally got you to swallow the darn Wolfsbane." Several times after he had stated that, Black prevented himself from gleefully showing Lupin the scratch marks he had received in the squabble.

Rubbing his head, Remus looked to Sirius, then Snape. "A whole week, huh? I really _must_ be getting old…" 

"Hn, well don't overwork yourself, Lupin. You've still got a bit of recovering to do, even though your transformation fixed your wound." Snape mused. "I've got a class to teach so if you'll excuse me." Turning upon his heel, he strode from the room rather quickly as if to bring the small reunion to a close.

"Good to have you back, Moony." Smiled Sirius as the two watched Snape leave the Hospital Wing.

"It's good to be back." Answered Remus with a smile of his own. The first real, true smile he had shown in a while…

[1]: W.A.D. aka The Werewolf Association of Democracy. A group of Werewolves who fight against the Ministry of Magic fighting for their rights of a democratic government. Their leader is Edward M. Trotts, who was recently sent into medical attention having nearly been assassinated with a silver bullet that just nearly missed his heart. Remus helped found the association in order to help those less fortunate than himself, who do not know Dumbledore personally.


End file.
